Cross-Border Traditions

The Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association will proudly celebrate its 50th annual “LOWISA” regatta the week of August 1-8, and adventure-oriented sailors from both sides of the Canadian border are invited. If you like the idea of spending a week stage-racing along a 100-mile course that wends past glacier-carved islands and offers a great opportunity to meet new friends, keep reading. LOWISA is held each August on Lake of the Woods, which straddles Ontario and Minnesota and extends some 60 miles to either side of the border. It contains 14,662 islands and boasts 65,000 miles of shoreline. This unique regatta—established in 1965—has been organized by a bi-national association of sailors who alternate leadership duties and work hard to create an event attractive to sailors of all stripes, from polished buoy racers to family crews. The race’s “run-what-ya-brung” ethos encourages sailors to compete in all kinds of boats, from tricked-out keelboats to slippery scows and Hobie Cats. Best yet, each crew can choose from hopped-up Olympic-style starts, decaffeinated pursuit-style starts or simply joining the cruising fleet. “In 1965, the regatta was largely trailerable daysailers, X-boats and scows,” said Warren White, a veteran LOWISA sailor who has been an active participant since 1983. “Nowadays, most boats are in the 23ft to 35ft range.” The event starts near Kenora, Ontario, and is run as a series of stage races that are typically 18 to 22 miles apiece. Racing traditionally takes place from approximately 1100 to 1400 on the six racing days, with a midweek lay day at a family-friendly lakeside resort and a Saturday prize-giving ceremony that’s held each year in Northern Harbour, Ontario. Nightly anchorages are in small bays tucked behind the myriad islands on the lake, making for a great week of friends, family and socializing. For more information, visit lowisa.org.

Since the Volvo Ocean Race’s inception, the Southern Ocean has made it what it is. And no part of the race says “Southern Ocean” like Leg 7 from Auckland, New Zealand, to Itajaí, Brazil. The 7,600-mile leg, which starts this Sunday, is not only the longest of the event, but far ...read more

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I had a call recently from the man who replaced the deck on my Mason 44 five years ago. He was worried about the way people are wrecking their teak decks trying to get the green off. ...read more

.In an exclusive video for SAIL, AkzoNobel skipper Simeon Tienpont reflects on his team’s recent first-place finish in Auckland, the state of the team overall, and what he thinks will be the key to success in Leg 8 of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race through the Southern Ocean.March ...read more

THROW SOME SHADEAmong the many virtues of cruising cats is the large expanse of netting between their bows, which is the ideal place to hang out with a cold one after a hard day’s sailing and let the breeze blow your worries away. Only trouble is it can get a bit hot up there ...read more

“After spending so many years sailing the Caribbean, I was frankly astounded at how much more I enjoy the Mediterranean,” says Scott Farquharson of charter brokers Proteus Yacht Charters. “The culture, the history, the food, the weather, friendly people, crystal-clear water—there ...read more

We were 1,100 miles from the nearest land when we received a text message on our Iridium GO: “Rudder gone. Water in bilge. Worried pumps can’t keep up. Please call!”We had been in contact with the owners of Rosinante, a 38ft Island Packet, since they had first announced over the ...read more

This is a story of how mistakes are made and judgment is dulled to the point of catastrophe. It is also about how prudent planning, good equipment and a bit of luck can bring you back from the brink.We departed Norfolk, Virginia, on December 15 bound for Jacksonville, Florida, ...read more

Vestas 11th Hour Racing co-captains Mark Towill and Charlie Enright discuss the collision near the end of Leg 4 as well as the efforts the team has made to get back into racing trimJust over a month after 11th Hour Racing’s fatal collision with a commercial fishing vessel shortly ...read more